A snorkel tour in the silent wonder of Indonesia, from coral reefs packed with marine life and muck locations filled with critters to channels with Mola Mola
Trip Overview
Join us on an adventurous quest to some of the Coral Triangle’s most iconic marine life. The Alami Alor, an intimate resort at one of Indonesia’s last frontiers, will be our base for exploring the region.
During this trip exclusively for snorkelers, we will have the opportunity to visit a variety of snorkeling environments, including numerous coral reefs, hunt for critters at muck snorkeling locations, and pelagic snorkeling in the Pantar Strait.
Trip Highlights
- Discover some of the greatest marine biodiversity on the planet! Alor reefs are home to hundreds of reef fish and countless types of corals, sponges, and sea fans. Every day, we will be in a search for the region’s most iconic species, from the elusive Mandarinfish to the massive Mola Mola.
- For this trip, we fully chartered the Alami Alor Resort, a boutique hotel on the remote Indonesian island of Alor. We will be the only guests at the resort and have exclusive access to the house reef. Having the whole resort for ourselves allowed us to make a site selection exclusively for our group of snorkelers.
- The trip includes 12 boat snorkeling sessions in remote coral reefs on our dedicated boat, as well as a night snorkeling adventure. Most of visited locations will be pristine coral plateaux and drop-offs where reef life thrives, but we will also explore several muck snorkeling spots to look for seahorses, rhinopias, wunderpus octopus and frogfish.
- All participants will be accommodated in Waterfront bungalows, featuring sea view and direct beach access. Enjoy unlimited snorkeling on the resort’s house reef, just a few steps from your room!
Trip Itinerary
Pick up at Jakarta Airport and transfer to our hotel. Group dinner and night in Jakarta.
We will be flying together to Alor and will be transferred by road to the Alami Alor. Check-in and guided snorkeling on the house reef.
During 6 full days, we will explore the reefs surrounding the Pantar Strait with our dedicated boat and have 2 snorkel sessions a day (90 minutes each). On one of the evenings, we will have dusk/night snorkeling on the house reef to observe the Mandarinfish and other nocturnal species.
Road transfer to Alor airport and flight back to Jakarta.
Accommodation
For this trip, we fully chartered the Alami Alor, a boutique hotel with only 8 bungalows on the remote Indonesian island of Alor. Alami Alor offers personalized service, waterfront bungalows, and a relaxed, family‑style atmosphere. Surrounded by lush forest and clear waters, it’s an ideal base for exploring vibrant coral reefs and muck sites.
Beachfront Bungalows
All bungalows are beachfront and feature a full glass ocean-facing frontage, air-conditioning, ceiling fan, wardrobe & computer desk. The en-suite open-air bathroom with a fresh hot water rain shower provides an aerial view of the tropical forest canopy.
All bungalows can be arranged with one double bed or twin beds.
House Reef
During our snorkel week at Alami Alor, you will enjoy unlimited snorkeling on the resort’s house reef. Easily accessible at all times from the jetty, it offers a very specific environment (different than the sites we will reach during our boat tours) and allows for observing a diversity of fish and critters.
The best snorkeling is found on the South Reef, densely covered by soft corals. Blacktip Sharks and massive Bluefin Trevallies are commonly spotted along the drop off. The back reef allows for observing smaller fish and critters, including Nudibranch, in the sandy areas at high tide.
The jetty area hosts interesting sea life, from large schools of Jacks in the blue to Scorpionfish, Moray Eels, and Starfish around the pillars.
On the day of arrival at Alami Alor, the resort’s snorkel guides will offer us a guided tour of the house reef.
Pricing, Inclusions & Policies
22-30 September 2028, 9 days-8 nights: 4190$/pers.
Prices are based on double occupancy. All inclusive from Jakarta.
Single occupancy: 5640$/pers.
If you’re traveling alone and are willing to share a bungalow with another solo traveler, but don’t see this option in the bungalow selection pop-up, please contact us.
You can combine this tour with our Wakatobi Resort Snorkeling Adventure, 1-9 October 2028. Click for more info about the combined trip Wakatobi-Alor, 22 September-9 October 2028.
Cost Includes
- Your guides and all snorkeling activities throughout the trip
- 7 nights at Alami Alor from 23 to 30 September 2028 and 1 night in Jakarta on 22 September 2028
- All meals, snacks, cakes, coffee, tea, and drinking water throughout the stay
- All transportation and transfers from/to Jakarta Airport, including flights between Jakarta and Alor, and transfers to/from the resort
- WiFi Internet access in the guest lounge
- Alor Marine Park Fee
- Use of the swimming pool
- Laundry service
Cost Excludes
- International air tickets from your home to Jakarta
- Snorkeling equipment
- Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks
- Trip insurance
- Gratuities and tips
Payment Plan (per person) :
| Payment | Amount & Due Date |
|---|---|
| Initial deposit* | USD 650 – Due at booking (confirmation) |
| Interim payment | USD 850 – Due on 24 December 2027 |
| Balance payment | Balance – Due on 24 June 2028 |
Cancellation policy (per person) :
| Time | Cancellation Fee |
|---|---|
| ≥ D-365 | Deposit converted into a credit note valid 24 months (non-cash refundable). Interim and/or balance paid in advance refundable less USD 150 per person. |
| D-364 to Interim Payment Due Date | Forfeiture of the deposit (non-refundable). Interim and/or balance paid in advance refundable less USD 150 per person (financial/processing fees). |
| Interim Payment Due Date to D-90 | Cancellation fee = deposit + interim payment (non-refundable). If cancellation occurs after the Interim Payment Due Date, the interim payment remains due whether already paid or not. |
| D-90 to D-60 | Cancellation fee = 75% of the Total Trip Price (maximum refund 25%). |
| D-59 to D-0 | Cancellation fee = 100% of the Total Trip Price (no refund). |
Photos from our previous trips to Alami Alor
Reviews from our previous trips to Alami Alor
Victoria & Andrew, Bucharest (Romania)
“A fantastic overview of the huge diversity in the area”
“The snorkeling at Alami Alor was very much like entering some unknown world with completely different landscapes, fish and critters than what we were used to. From the wonderfully quiet and serene volcanic reef to the gently swaying soft corals and anemones, each trip out was unique and provided a fantastic overview of the huge diversity in the area. The guides were genuinely exceptional at finding everything from the smallest of the smalls to biggest of the big (we never even considered that seeing a blue whale was even a possibility!) and did their utmost to ensure we thoroughly enjoyed each and every outing. It was our third wonderfully memorable trip organized by Planet Snorkeling.” (October 2025)
Ric (UK)
“Planet Snorkeling fills my snorkeling passion to the brim”
“Planet Snorkeling fills my snorkeling passion to the brim. Nothing beats being with a diverse bunch of fellow enthusiasts guided by passionate organizers! ” (October 2025)
Kerry & Mark, Wellington (New Zealand)
“So much to see, once is not enough we hope to be back”
“Our first trip with Planet Snorkeling so a step into the unknown but it turned out to be one of our best overseas trips. Guillaume was great low key leader, everything seemed to work like clockwork. Alex and Uri and all the Alami Alor staff were fantastic, very approachable and accommodating. Mona the Dive Master was great fun and her staff very knowledgeable. So much to see, once is not enough we hope to be back.” (October 2025)
Françoise, Mulhouse (France)
“Many fishes and creatures I had never seen before”
“Guillaume is a fantastic tour leader. He is very personable and takes care of all participants. The program allowed me to see many fishes and creatures I had never seen before, thanks to several experienced snorkeling guides being present during each of our organized sessions and a rich house reef available for non-guided sessions.” (October 2025)
Frequently Asked Questions
During this tour, we will generally do two boat snorkeling sessions a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Most boat snorkeling sessions last 90 minutes and take place around the northern sites of Alor, many of them about 25 minutes by boat from the resort. These sites are known for shallow coral slopes, dense reef life, and a wide variety of fish and invertebrates.
Some sessions will focus on muck (sandy bottoms) or light muck (mix of sand and coral clusters) environments. These less “classic reef” habitats are part of what makes Alor so special, as they can reveal unusual and highly sought-after marine life such as seahorses, frogfish, waspfish, sea moths, snake eels, and many other surprises.
On the way to the northern sites, we cross the Pantar Strait, an area known for Mola Mola sightings. When tides and conditions are favorable, we may stop either on the way to the snorkeling sites or on the return to the resort to look for Mola Mola and enter the water to snorkel with them.
During the week, we also plan one excursion to the southern sites. These waters are colder, and the underwater scenery is very different, with dramatic vertical walls covered in corals and sponges, along with a distinct mix of marine life.
During snorkeling sessions, you will be accompanied by the Alami Alor snorkel guides and your Planet Snorkeling tour leader, who help spot and point out marine life. For this tour, we will have two boats dedicated to our group for the whole week.
Water temperature is usually warm in Alor in September, around 82°F / 28°C, but it can drop as low as 68°F / 20°C at the southern sites, where we will snorkel once or twice, and in the Mola Mola area. We recommend you bring a 2- to 3-millimeter wetsuit.
Our Alor tour is one of our most distinctive Indonesia itineraries in terms of marine life. The area offers a very special mix of reef, pelagic, and muck encounters, which makes it quite different from more classic coral reef destinations.
Species we have a good chance of seeing include Mola Mola, mandarinfish, butterflyfish, angelfish, leaf scorpionfish, batfish, pipefish, cowfish, mantis shrimp, nudibranchs, and a wide range of muck critters. These may include seahorses, frogfish, waspfish, seamoths, ribbon morays, snake eels, scorpionfish, and other unusual species (with luck: Rhinopias and blue-ringed octopus).
On the house reef, we may also encounter blacktip reef sharks, trevallies, and bluespotted rays, although these are more specifically associated with that area rather than the whole itinerary.
On the other hand, Alor is not the best choice if your main hopes are to see sea turtles, eagle rays, or manta rays. These species can never be ruled out completely in the ocean, but they are not among the likely highlights of this tour.
No specific fitness level is required. This trip is suitable for anyone comfortable in the water, confident using snorkeling equipment, and able to snorkel unassisted.
During our trips, you can snorkel at your own pace, and if you feel tired at any point, you can always return to the boat.
Please note, however, that this trip involves boarding or disembarking from small boats and dinghies, and exiting the water using ladders. If you have mobility concerns or specific questions, feel free to email us in advance, and we’ll be happy to provide more details.
Alor is a remote destination and is not always easy to reach independently, which is why we include the domestic flights from Jakarta to Alor as part of this tour.
The most direct routing is usually from Jakarta to Alor via Kupang, with a flight of approximately 3 hours 15 minutes from Jakarta to Kupang, followed by a shorter flight of about 1 hour from Kupang to Alor. Depending on airline schedules, which can change regularly in Indonesia, the routing may sometimes include an additional stop, for example in Bali or another domestic hub.
Your tour leader travels with the group throughout this domestic journey, helping with airport logistics and connections. During stopovers, lounge access is included whenever applicable, making the transit smoother and more comfortable.
Upon arrival in Alor, the road transfer to Alami Alor takes around 45 minutes in air-conditioned vehicles.
This Alor Snorkeling Adventure can be combined with our Wakatobi Snorkeling Adventure, 1-9 October 2028. You can see all the details and book the combined Alor-Wakatobi trip, 22 September-9 October 2028 on this page.
Should you wish to extend your stay in Indonesia, we can arrange custom trip extensions to various regions with spectacular snorkeling, such as Raja Ampat, Komodo, and Sulawesi. Just get in touch with our team, and we’ll be happy to help tailor your experience.
Yes, complimentary WiFi is available in the restaurant and lounge area of Alami Alor.
